MULTAN: Millet (also known Bajra) prices have plummeted in the recent years forcing farmers to seek government’ s help, who say only new international market can stabilise the crop prices.

The millet is one of the small seeded species of cereal crops. The crop is most often associated as the main ingredient in bird seed; however it is not just for the birds but used as food and fodder also.

Ahmad Mujtaba, a farmer, said the prices of the crop had plummeted from Rs1,800 to Rs1,200 for 100 kilo in the last two year.

He said last year the prices of a 100-kg bag of millet was Rs1,500 and this year its rates were Rs1,200 per 100kg.He said that in the past the major buyers of the crop were poultry feed factories and importers in Afghanistan and India. He said insurgency in the NWFP and huge supplies of wheat to Nato forces in Afghanistan had disturbed the millet trade.

In the last three years, the cultivation of maize and rice at a large scale also affected the prices of the crop. He named Thailand, Korea, Malaysia and China as potential markets for millet because of their growing poultry industry.

Abid Husain, a sales officer of a seed company, said the area of millet had shrunk in Muzaffargarh, Layyah and Bhakkar.

Besides unstable prices, another reason behind the decline in cultivation of the millet is due to the poor quality seeds which affect the pollination.

Layyah Agriculture District Officer Abid Husain said this year the millet had been cultivated on 40,000 acres. He said the department could only provide technical support to farmers, while it had no role in the marketing of the crop.

In Pakistan, the maize is sown mainly in two seasons; once, in spring and then in autumn.

‘Even the stock of last year’s crop of maize are still in the market as maize is also alternative to millet for poultry feed.'

'The farmers who have cultivated millet are facing problems due to its low prices. Maize has also been cultivated at a large scale in Okara and Sahiwal districts which will also affect its prices,’ he said.